bike lanes have inherent problems. they need to have additional improvements to keep the cars out otherwise they actually contribute to some accidents. if there was no bike lane here the driver would not have the additional roadway to use. anyway I won't rant further about it here out of respect for the deceased. so sad. 40 is too young. sounds like a horribly violent accident for the cyclist.

cycling is like baseball ~ it doesn't take much to make it interesting

Selfish B*tard. Putting his own need for speed, competition, whatever ... above the safety of other road users (as well as that of his daughter). This society is too tolerant of this sort of behavior. Unless he was drinking, he is likely to receive a very light sentence. I wonder if the cyclist got any glimpse of him coming.

Agreed, it doesn't matter if there was a bike lane or not, this was reckless driving on the motorists' part, and completely irresponsible. A very tragic situation, and quite preventable on the driver's end.

What do you call a cyclist who sells potpourri on the road? A pedaling petal-peddler.

Selfish B*tard. Putting his own need for speed, competition, whatever ... above the safety of other road users (as well as that of his daughter). This society is too tolerant of this sort of behavior. Unless he was drinking, he is likely to receive a very light sentence. I wonder if the cyclist got any glimpse of him coming.

-G

I agree 100%. Too many of these incidents are looked upon as simple "accidents", but they are anything but an accident.

"The aim of science is to make difficult things understandable in a simpler way; the aim of poetry is to state simple things in an incomprehensible way. The two are incompatible."

We drove up after this happened heading downtown. This road sucks for bicyclists. Bike lane is horrible and people routinely do 65mph. Daily I yell at idiots turning down 1st Ave south making a right turn into or infront of me.

With this particular accident, there's nothing that could've been done to stop it from happening. The Civic motorist is just wrong here and the cyclist paid the ultimate price. Lock him up and throw away the key.

Update!!!!!ST. PETERSBURG — Police have arrested a St. Petersburg man on multiple criminal charges in connection with a crash that killed a bicyclist Saturday afternoon as she pedaled in a bike lane.
Matthew E. Cook, 27, was arrested Tuesday on charges of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide and DUI involving serious injury.
Cook was driving with a cocktail of drugs in his system — including cocaine, methadone, oxycodone, marijuana and benzodiazepines — when he struck Kris Ann Jones, 40, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash occurred while Cook had his 3-year-old daughter in the car with him, police said. The girl, who was not properly strapped into her car seat, suffered burns, abrasions and contusions, police said.
Because of this, police also added a charge of child abuse.
In addition, police say Cook was going 80 mph in a 40-mph zone and may have been racing another car when he turned into the bike lane in which Jones was riding. After hitting Jones, Cook crashed his 1995 Honda Civic into a sport utility vehicle.
"I'd say he made a number of bad choices on this particular day," said St. Petersburg police spokesman Mike Puetz.
Cook was being held Tuesday night at the Pinellas County Jail without bail. His family could not be reached for comment. Nor could family members of Jones.
Cook was arrested Tuesday afternoon as his family escorted him from Bayfront Medical Center, where he had undergone surgery for a broken femur, police said. Officers were surprised to learn he was leaving the hospital so early, but ensured they were there to take him into custody, said police spokesman Mike Puetz.
The crash happened about 5 p.m. Saturday as Jones was riding east in the bike lane in the 5200 block of First Avenue S.
The speeding Cook pulled behind an SUV, then tried to use the bike lane to pass it, police said. He didn't see Jones on her bike until it was too late and slammed on the brakes just before striking her, police said.
Jones was thrown onto the windshield and the roof of the Honda, police said, but was flung to the street when the car skidded into the back of a parked SUV, pushing it into a tree.
While talking to officers, Cook admitted to "some drug use," Puetz said. Cook denied he was racing, but police believe he was.
"We've got enough information to believe both these cars were traveling on First Avenue S at a high-rate of speed, which suggests racing," Puetz said. "He (Cook) denies it but we have witnesses who have refuted that."
Police haven't located the other vehicle, which they described as a small, faded-white car that was possibly foreign-made. Puetz said investigators need to do more work before deciding whether the other driver could be charged.
Cook has a history of arrests and driving offenses. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to probation in 2010 for charges of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle and throwing a deadly missile into an occupied vehicle, according to court records.
His driver's license was suspended in 2007 after he pleaded no contest to a disorderly conduct charge. His license was later reinstated.
He also has been cited for avoiding a traffic control device, improper backing and seat belt violations, records show.

bike lanes have inherent problems. they need to have additional improvements to keep the cars out otherwise they actually contribute to some accidents. if there was no bike lane here the driver would not have the additional roadway to use. anyway I won't rant further about it here out of respect for the deceased. so sad. 40 is too young. sounds like a horribly violent accident for the cyclist.

Be careful or you'll find yourself labeled as a "bike lane hater." But I agree with you (as do if I am not mistaken many others) in that bike lanes do have their own set of inherent problems.

Depending on where she was on 1st Ave. S. the bike lane is separated from the travel by a median as well as being two-way on a one-way street.

Although from the description I think it was on the section where bicycle travel is one-way and is NOT separated from the rest of the road by a median.

I agree 100%. Too many of these incidents are looked upon as simple "accidents", but they are anything but an accident.

Or as "boys being boys." In an incident such as this it shouldn't take drugs and/or alcohol to get serious charges filed. The truly reckless nature of the crash should be enough for it to be taken seriously. I also agree that I wouldn't be too surprised if the most serious charge that the driver has to face is for child endangerment.

Although from the description I think it was on the section where bicycle travel is one-way and is NOT separated from the rest of the road by a median.

It was this one. We drove up to the accident about an hour after it happened, we were heading to the Rowdies game. If the cops sat there and wrote a ticket out for every speeder, the city would be able to build the Rays a new stadium in about a week...

I drive 40 down that street and I can't tell you how many times my truck gets rocked from cars passing me as if they were on I-275.

His driver's license was suspended in 2007 after he pleaded no contest to a disorderly conduct charge. His license was later reinstated.
He also has been cited for avoiding a traffic control device, improper backing and seat belt violations, records show.

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The courts are so tolerant of wacko drivers. Probably because they feel that it's such a hardship to folks when they can't drive.

We drove to NM and back this past week. Outside of KC, some schmuck decided he would use the shoulder to pass all the damned slow pokes in the travel lanes...came within inches of creaming a cop who had someone pulled over on the shoulder. Stupidity and impatience kills.

"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey

It was this one. We drove up to the accident about an hour after it happened, we were heading to the Rowdies game. If the cops sat there and wrote a ticket out for every speeder, the city would be able to build the Rays a new stadium in about a week...

I drive 40 down that street and I can't tell you how many times my truck gets rocked from cars passing me as if they were on I-275.

Sadly, as I'm sure you know it seems like most motorists don't follow the posted speed on any of the roads.

And I agree with you that if the cops did their job and issued tickets to every speeder that both cities be able to build not only the Ray's but the Buc's a new stadiums.